---
title: גָּאַל — defile · The Tanakh dictionary
description: גָּאַל (1351), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 11 times: defile. BDB 1906: vb. defile. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# גָּאַל

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«גָּאַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **defile** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 11 times · **Key:** 1351 · **BDB:** גָּאַל²

### Glosses

they.were.defiled (3); I.have.defiled (1); \[is\].defiled (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

defile [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1490/1351/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. defile [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1490/1351/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. defile, late (cf. גָּעַל)— Pf. 3 mpl. נְגֹאֲלוּ Is 59:3 La 4:14, on form v. Ges§ 51 h, Köi 265; Pt. נִגְאָלָה Zp 3:1;—be defiled, hands with blood בַּדָּם, Is 59:3 cf. La 4:14; pt. as subst. defiled, polluted one Zp 3:1 of Jerusalem (‖ מֹֽרְאָה; appos. הָעִיר הַיּוֹנָה). Pf. 1 pl. sf. גֵּאַלְנוּךָ Mal 1:7 pollute, desecrate, obj. י׳ (desecrated in his altar). Impf. וַיְגֹאֲלוּ מִן־הַכְּהֻנָּה Ezr 2:62 = Ne 7:64 cstr. pregn. and they were desecrated out of the priesthood, i.e. deposed, as desecrated ones; Pt. מְגֹאָל of bread laid on Yahweh’s altar Mal 1:7; of Yahweh’s altar (table, שֻׁלְחָן) v 12. Pf. 1 s. אֶגְאָ֑לְתִּי Is 63:3 (on Aramaic form v. Köi 27 Ges§ 53 R. 6 but) read perhaps גֵּאָ֑לְתִּי Pi., v. GFMThLZ 1887, 292 cf. also Gesl.c. N. Ol§ 255 b Sta§ 159 b, 3;—I have polluted, i.e. stained, all my raiment, Impf. יִתְגָּאַל Dn 1:8; יִתְגָּאָ֑ל v 8;—defile himself.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 8 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (5 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «גָּאַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1490/1351/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Zephaniah 3:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ZEP.3.1/)

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ה֥וֹי מֹרְאָ֖ה וְנִגְאָלָ֑ה הָעִ֖יר הַיּוֹנָֽה׃

*Word for word:* woe.to! \[the.one.who.is\].rebellious and \[the.one.who.is\].defiled the city \[which\] oppresses

*JPS 1917:* Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!

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[Ezra 2:62](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/EZR.2.62/)

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אֵ֗לֶּה בִּקְשׁ֧וּ כְתָבָ֛ם הַמִּתְיַחְשִׂ֖ים וְלֹ֣א נִמְצָ֑אוּ וַֽיְגֹאֲל֖וּ מִן־הַכְּהֻנָּֽה׃

*Word for word:* these they.sought document their \[those who.had\].had.themselves.enrolled and not they.were.found and they.were.defiled from the priesthood

*JPS 1917:* These sought their register, that is, the genealogy, but it was not found; therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.

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